Hi Stew,
Thank`s for the news but i really don`t think we can do anything until the company`s are officially told, I recon the best thing that we can all do is keep digging at them and all keep intouch about the situation,It is looking more like The Sunrise Royal Makadi which does look nice but we can`t look forward to this due to such uncertainty.
Will keep intouch Mel.

Hi Everyone

My wife and I have just returned from the Makadi Palace, well here goes. Yes, there is extensive building work going on next to the hotel, from our room we could see the new building, but in all honesty it was OK as the outer shell is finished and has been rendered, it just needed painting and windows putting in. There were some rooms in the Makadi that were a lot nearer to the work so there opinion may/would be different. On the walk to the beach you pass the work which is on your righthand side, here you can hear the noise of small generators operating the small jibs that take cement , materials etc to higher levels, this is were one of the snack bars is, so this is not brilliant. But if you turn left on the beach you can get away from the noise, this is probably the best anyway as the beach is served for drinks from the Grand Makadi ( sister hotel ) and there is a snack bar there to use also. If you turn right at the beach heading towards Makadi centre, you will walk past extensive buiding work, so just keep looking out towards the bay.

Points to watch for, as this is not strictly an all inclusive !!!!!!!!

They try to offer you fresh orange juice at breakfast, but it is not free - LE 2.00, but some only tell you after you have had it.
In the joker bar we got offered a bottle of sparkling wine then told it was LE230, so he was told were to put his wine !!!
In the A la carte restaurants there is a bottle of wine on your table, but be warned it's not free so don't ask them to open it. You can have a glass of but it is hit and miss as I have had a better glass of vinegar.
What is annoying, is the wine you have to pay for is Egyptian wine, why this is not free they tell me, is that it is better quality......... good wine should be available free within the all inclusive.
We like an early breakfast ( around 07:00 ) so around 10:30 / 11:00 we like a snack on the beach, but they don't serve food until 12:00 noon, also you can't get a drink on the beach before 10:00 but they will offer you a payable orange juice.
The animataion show is dire but this seems to be the norm with hotels in Egypt, but it some where to have a drink if you like it a bit lively and want a dance, if you want it a bit more chilled , go to the piano bar for a drink.

The hotel itself is very nice and the staff, lots of them are always cleaning everywhere , the rooms are very nice and clean and couldn't ask for more, the bed and pillows are the best we have ever had, we would have liked to have took them home. The points above are not meant to put you off but to use merely as a guide so you are aware, after a stay at the Makadi Palace I certainly wouldn't tell anyone not to go there as we did have a good break.

Wayne

Thanks for that Wayne. It sound's like you enjoyed yourself. I think we will be staying away fom the wine and sticking with beer- what are the cocktails like? Did you go snorkling off the beach as I heard the reefs are good right by the hotel?

Cheers
Stan

The house cocktails are part of the all inclusive package, roughly 10 or 12 diffferent ones. Best bar to get them at is the Stan Getz bar where they do them properley with all the trimmings.

The Palace is a stones throw from the red sea. Once you've negotiated the inner reef (shoes required) the snorklings fabulous. Throw a bit of bread in the water and you will be surrounded by all kinds of fish within seconds.

With regards to the comments about the wine I've been 3 times now and never experienced any of those problems The orange juice sales/cost are the norm in most hotels.

regards

Stew

hi all we have been to the makadi palace 4 times now but like everyone else cant get booked so we are going to the sunrise makadi in feb.If you are still going to the palace you will love it as soon as it comes back on the market [surely someone will snap it up]we will be back as for snorkaling if you havent done it before you are in for a treat it takes your breath away with all the coloured fish just go to the beach turn right and walk for 5 mins you will come to what is like a bunker type building yuo can walk into the water here without touching the coral over all we where going to make the palace our twice yearly destination as it has everything we want from a holiday so fingers crossed we will be back.As for building works it does not affect you at all so dont let that worry you when you visit the loos at the airport they will want money just tell them sorry spent all my money they wont understand but they will go away they try to put it across as youve got to pay but you dont ,mind and carry loo roll as they wont give you any cigeretes £2.50 for 200 local ones but my wife says theyre ok you can buy them when your waiting for bags hope this info was helpful will

Well I finally got a quote from redsea hotels and must say I am bitterly disappointed with them. They quoted me a price which equated to an extra £3500 on top of the cost of my original booking with Mytravel . I guess I won't be going to the Palace this year then

Hi All,
can you belive this? I have just spoken to Thomas Cook Operations Dept ( after l have tried hundreds of times) Yes they have finally admitted my holiday to The Makadi Palace will not happen but say they can`t give me another holiday until I receive a letter from them,I was then told I could change the hotel now but would have to pay any extras.How do they get away with it?

Hi

I think from things that we have seen on this board, people have changed their hotels with Thomas Cook without paying any extra or an admin fee.

I am not 100% on this but Kiltman-Graham who was bumped from Gazala Gardens was moved to the Sonesta Beach (they original offered him the Sonesta Club, which was a downgrade) and don't think he paid anything extra.

He might pick up this post or if not you could pm him.

I have every sympathy for you all being messed about like this, so annoying.

Doe

Mel,

Now that I knew Redsea hotels just wanted to fleece me I changed my holiday via Thomas cook central operations and got what I think is a very good deal under the circumstances. Needless to say I'm going to the Royal Makadi Sunrise at a vastly reduced rate. PM me and I'll give you the details if you like

regards

Stew

read all peoples probs about the palace we are due to go in march and just stood our ground with thomas cook as they wanted to move us told them
we are not prepared to accept any other accommodation they eventually agreed so we are still going yes they have lost contract for hotel but if you really want to go stand your ground
hope this helps

finally got my refund from directholidays for makadi palace...i can now look forward to my new holiday

Hi All,
After waiting 55 mins they finally answered!
and denied our holiday was cancelled , when I told them that their own dept had told me on saturday we would not be going to the Makadi Palace I was then left again 20 mins.
They are going to ring me again tomorrow and tell me there choosen hotel if we don`t want it we can then have a full refund---where will we get a 5* family holiday at the price we paid last April????/

Meland Mark,
Hi, I looked up Makadi Palace for August on the asia rooms website and if you add in the flights I'm sure it is a lot more than you paid last April. If Thomas Cook are now offering the Sunrise hotels is it worth considering the Sunrise Mamlouk Palacei, Hurghada? It is a new hotel with a 5* rating (Egyptian!). There is a review on here and if you google it there are other positive reviews too. The least they can do is offer you a hotel with an equivalent rating. Good luck with your dealings with Thomas Cook, Regards, Caro

If anyone would like to add their review for the Makadi Palace (we currently only have two reviews) please do so HERE or for the Sunrise Royal Makadi HERE

Pippy

i have just booked a lastmin deal with Thomas cook only last week and we were offered the "sunrise makadi palace" as well as the "sunrise gardens" and the "sunrise holiday resort"... we booked for the holiday resort and got it for £1,700. for two weeks for three adults and we go tomorrow, Really hope all the reviews are right that said this place was good...
But anyway, just thought i would let you know that Thomas cook were still offering the Makadi palace last week...

Hope you all have good holidays wherever you decide too go...

Happy holidays...

Will let you all know weather the "Sunrise holiday resort" was good or not...bye...Debbie

WOW going tomorrow. Have a great holiday Debbie. don't forget to come back on and let us know how you got on.

Hi we're booked to go with Thomas Cook in August, do we have anything to worry about? should we be contacting the tour operator?

Hello big-si,
we were also going to The Palace Aug, but fortunatly with the kind help and advice of chelsea 1 ,we have managed to change hotels to the sunrise royal makadi,I have to say this did take some doing but as chelsea1 did say IT is worth the effort at least we can look forward to a holiday that we do know where we are going to , And we have got a family room which we were told would not be possible .
Apparently Thomas Cook did not renew their contract for the summer season with this group of hotels which is a shame because it looks so nice.
I have to say it did take an awful lot of phone calls and also e-mails but in the end they did sort us out.
Mel.

Apparently there is a mistake in the hotel reviews section re the Makadi Palace.

As I'm not familiar with either the area or the hotel I will leave this until Briar is back with us. Admin are aware

Pippy